Callum Wilson is heading back to the Premier League. The word from the Brentford camp is that a deal is all but done, a 12 month contract for the form...
Callum Wilson is heading back to the Premier League. The word from the Brentford camp is that a deal is all but done, a 12 month contract for the former England striker after his brief and deeply forgettable stint at West Ham. The Hammers are relegated, their loss is the Bees' gain. It is the kind of swift, decisive business that Thomas Frank has made his trademark. You do not get long to mope in the top flight. You get on the phone, you find a finisher, and you bring him in.Wilson's time at the London Stadium was miserable. The injury woes that have plagued his career resurfaced at the worst possible moment, and the team around him never found any rhythm. But let us not pretend this is a man who has forgotten how to score. Before the West Ham nightmare, this was a striker who knew exactly where the goal was. His movement is sharp, his finishing is as clinical as any English centre forward of his generation. The question is not his quality. The question is his body.Brentford are betting on a fit Wilson for one season. It is a low risk, high reward punt. He will not be asked to run the channels for 90 minutes every week. He will be asked to get into the box, to finish the chances that Bryan Mbeumo and the creative lads will carve out. If Frank can manage his minutes, if the medical team can keep those hamstrings intact, this could be one of the signings of the summer. If not, it is a one year deal. They can absorb that blow.What does this say about Ivan Toney The speculation will only intensify. Brentford bringing in a senior centre forward, even on a short term deal, suggests they are planning for life without their main man. Toney will be coveted. The vultures are circling. But while the noise around him grows, the club have moved quietly and effectively to ensure they are not left in the lurch. Wilson is not a direct replacement. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer who understands the league's demands. That is worth its weight in gold.West Ham fans will look at this and wince. Their loss is Brentford's opportunity. Wilson will walk into the Brentford dressing room with something to prove. That is a dangerous man to have in your corner. Frank knows how to build a siege mentality. Throw a hungry, angry, proven striker into that mix and you have a recipe for goals. Do not be surprised if Wilson has a point to make. And do not be surprised if he makes it loudly.
